The Fort Bend Independent School District Board of Trustees has approved an approximate 2 percent raise for non-teaching staff and voted to reject an increase in monthly insurance premiums for all employees.
The Fort Bend Employee Federation participated in several district sponsored budget workshops, meetings with FBISD financial officers, and individual board members prior to the district’s presentation of a proposal to award non-teaching staff a raise that would amount to approximately a 2 percent increase in pay. The budget proposal also recommended a $10 per month increase in insurance premiums; an increase in the cost of emergency room visits from $150 to $250; and increase of out of pocket expenses from $400 to $500 for individuals and $800 to $1,000 for families.
A presentation by Fort Bend Employee Federation President Karrie Washenfelder urged board members to consider a raise for non-teaching staff in light of the district’s “sound financial position, advances in achievement, fairness and the potential effects on staff morale.”
Organizers Dwight Harris, field coordinator for the FBEF, and Anthony Lacsamana spoke about the fair treatment of employees, the addition of a 188th day to the calendar without compensation and the disparate effect that an increase in monthly insurance premiums would have on the districts lowest paid workers.
Board of Trustees member Daniel Menendez presented an amendment to the district’s budget proposal that eliminated the increase in monthly insurance premiums, which passed 4 to 3, with board members Bob Broxton, Daniel Menendez, Susan Hohnbaum and Sonal Buchar in favor of the amendment.
Board member David Reitz argued for an amendment that would eliminate a raise for all non-teaching staff.
That amendment lost on a 2 to 5 vote with Reitz and Marilyn Glover voting to eliminate the raise for non-teaching staff and board members Bob Broxton, Daniel Menendez, Hohnbaum, Buchar and Laurie Caldwell voting for the pay raise.
“I am not going to manage our budget on the backs of the people that you see out cutting grass in 100 degrees and am absolutely in favor of giving this raise,” Broxson said.
“It wasn’t what we asked for, but we are just happy that the majority of them chose to give some kind of a raise and lessen that burden on insurance on the employees,” said Harris.
3. September 2009 at 1:04 pm
While the validity and ongoing costs that would be associated with the S and t center are a concern what is more of a concern is that my tax dollars are put to good use and that the BOT is a good steward of those tax dollars… when they talk about raising taxes, I think public education is a great value as long as those tax dollars are being put to good use.
giving the teachers and employees in the district a fair and living wage? good use of my money.
Adding another layer of administrators… …. …
Cut three of those hundred K Phd’s and you’ve covered the healthcare costs for those workers.
1. September 2009 at 2:24 pm
Opps, I forgot to mention the $15 million in no bid contracts, much of which goes to vendors in the district that regularly contribute to the ed. foundation (kind of cozy don’t you think)….oh well….and so the story continues….
1. September 2009 at 2:22 pm
I believe Mr. Broxson is in an election year for himself so I wouldn’t read too much into how he is voting lately soup. Wasn’t it just a month or so ago he was voting in that $30 million dollar duplicate museum to the “free” HMNS project about 1.5 miles away? That will hit the budget at half million to a million each year just to run it on the ops budget. Jenney won’t even put the full budget online like many districts do so that it can be more closely scrutinized and how bout that near $300k newsletter on character they dust off for the elections? I’m sure all of these excessive spending projects can be justified, but what happens when they can’t balance the budget from this point forward?
As everyone knows we already are the most highly taxed county per median value in the state. Past board members have also confirmed that several other “contingency” funds exist, but apparently they are saving them for a “rainy” day. You would think, like Washenfelder stated in one of her presentations that we have already reached that rainy day with a near 20 million dollar budget deficit and almost 1.4 billion in bond debt thanks to our special interest buddies feeding at the taxpayer trough.
They’re so worried about the bond rating, perhaps they should have scaled the last bond that Jenney and the spec. ints. pushed through in ‘07, but I guess they need a large portion of that to go eventually to the plethora of “contingency” funds that they keep from the public.
Nope, I say flush all the ogre board out and start fresh and balance that budget along with putting the districts full budget in an online “cash register” for all the public to see. Stop playing the perception game and “hide and seek” with our money.
1. September 2009 at 11:48 am
Hey Ogre-
We are the district- we the taxpayers pay the costs associated with educating our children. If you look at the value received for the dollars I spend, it is worth every penny and more for my children. I just want that money to be spent wisely. Spending the measly $300,000 that this is going to cost the district is worth it compared to some of the other “projects and programs the BOT would undertake.
Mr. Broxton’s compassion should be applauded.
1. September 2009 at 10:36 am
Does this mean that the costs of the staff pay increase and the insurance increase now will be managed “on the backs” of the taxpayer? Perhaps Mr. Broxton will agree to pay any additional monies required by the District out of his own pocket. Someone has to pay.